Miss Popularity
by BrownEyedBookGeek
Summary: Quinn Fabray. Cheerleader, Glee member, Yale alumni, mother. Before she was Lucy, a girl with an ugly past, but she switched to Mckinley High where she became Miss Popularity. What was life like before Quinn joined Glee club, when she was the new girl at Mckinley High? Well, it'd be easier to read then explain...
1. The First Day

*These are all how I think Quinn would think, her thoughts, especially her opinions on beauty is NOT the same as how I really think, or see people. Everyone is beautiful and perfect just the way there are! 3*

First Day at Mckinley High

"It's ok," I tell myself for what seems like the 100th time this hour, "You'll be fine, no one even knows you here." I nervously toss my newly-dyed blonde hair over my shoulder and smile at the halls of people here.

A boy grins at me and I feels the eyes my new classmates watching me. At first, I almost panic. I was stared at all the time at my old high school, but that was because I was ugly and fat. Now I'm blonde, skinny, and pretty. _Perfect._

People's' faces fly by me the rest of the day. I saw a girl with a blonde, curled ponytail in a cheerleader uniform dance around the hallway talking about her cat while a cheerleader with dark hair and a pretty, but mean face watched her. A tall boy holding a football with a sweet face. A girl with long, brown hair who talked too much in class and wore too many granny sweaters.

By the end of the day, I'm exhausted. My face hurts from smiling so much, but it paid off. I had people to sit with at lunch and boys who stared at me in a good way, not in a she's-really-ugly-and-fat way. Cheerleaders on their way to practice wave at me as I make my way to the front of the school so Mom can pick me up. Right before I get to the door, a flyer catches my eye. _**Cheerio Tryouts**_ it reads, showing a formation of pretty girls holding a trophy as a coach-looking lady with short, bleached hair stands smirking in a red, full-body track suit. I reach for a pen in my backpack, but a boy with a mohawk materializes in front of me -he must of been watching me-and hands me a pen. I smile and him and he smirks at me as he leans against the wall. He opens his mouth to talk, but a yell erupts from the school.

"Puckerman, get out here!" a voice screams and the boy jumps and runs away, but not before he winks at me.

I feel myself blush and click the pen open to write my name on the Cheerio sign-up sheet. Quinn Fabray. _Perfect._


	2. Trying and Failing

Trying and Failing

I wring out my hands waiting to be called into the gym. Inside, I hear a woman yelling angrily at what sounds like a sobbing girl. I close my eyes to focus on my routine, but I can't get past the screaming in my head. At home, yells echo throughout my house constantly, but no matter how many times I flip or do the splits, the yells don't go away. Praying hasn't worked either. I don't know what to do, so instead of facing the problem, I run. I run to the people who would have shunned me if they had known me before I became Quinn, when I was Lucy. I party hard and try to look good while doing it. In my world, that's all that _really_ matters.

I've started to be seen as a Popular, and becoming a Cheerio would make my new popularity written in stone. With the new power that I never had before, I'm starting to be mean to the ones, the dorks and the dweebs, and the Rachel Berrys, below me. I tell myself that this is only because of what's happening at home, that it's completely normal for me to call someone 'ugly' to their face, but I find myself doubting my reasoning sometimes.

The gym door swings open, revealing a crying mess of a girl who hurries out, but not before she whispers "Save yourself." to me. I just roll my eyes, the girl probably wasn't pretty enough to make the team. Big deal, I mean, how bad can it be in there?

Turns out it can be bad, really, really bad. I walked into the gym to find Coach Sue yelling at the janitor mopping the floor. When I walked in, her head snapped towards me like I was fresh meat and she was a hungry bear.

"Name?" she asked, but it sounded more like a demand then a question.

"Quinn Fabray." I answered, straighten my shoulders and smiling right at her. Coach Sue grunted and nodded to herself.

"Let's get this over with Blondie." She said as she picked up her megaphone.

I went through the whole routine feeling proud until the yelling began.

"Wrong, wrong, wrong!" yelled Sue into her megaphone.

I finished my flip, done with my routine and out of breath.

"That was terrible, the worst." she said as she glared at me menacingly.

I wanted to run and hide, but I rolled my eyes.

"Seriously, that was _way_ better than the last girl's performance." I said, glaring back just as hard. Sue's eyes became lit-up immediately after this and she wrote something on her clipboard.

"I must say Blondie, I'm impressed, putting down a possible teammate is a skill that's very valuable, a skill I have and respect." she said.

"Practice starts right after school, if you aren't there on time, consider yourself a social outcast." she continued.

I felt a smile grow on my face. Yes, yes, YES!

Now, walking out of the gym, I do a little flip of celebration. Maybe now I can block out the yelling at home with my new, permanent popularity.


	3. The Jewish Diva

The Jewish Diva

I pull back my blonde hair into a high ponytail and smooth out my new Cheerios uniform. For a while, I wondered who I really was, but in my cheerleading uniform, I feel like the girl I've always wanted to be.

In math class, the girl sitting next to me is ranting. To whom, I'm not completely sure since no one is listening. A boy with pale skin and a fashionable outfit rolls his eyes at the brunette, granny-sweatered midget.

"I really don't understand how me singing in class is a distraction Ms. Brown, if anything, my singing is inspiring to all individuals in this class." she says, waving her test paper around like a flag. I catch her name written neatly at the top, _**Rachel Berry**_ and a gold sticker in the shape of a star sits next to her name like some kind of symbol.

"Rachel, please sit down, this is a math class, not a glee club." Ms. Brown sighs tiredly as Rachel retreats back to her desk.

 _Who in their right mind would_ _ **ever**_ _join a glee club?_

Later that day, I notice Rachel walking toward me in the hall.

"I couldn't help noticing you admiring my performance in math class, and I always thank my fans." she says, looking up at me, her face composed and serious.

"I'm a _**huge**_ fan." I say sarcastically, but Rachel doesn't catch the sarcasm as she practically beams with happiness.

"If you want to check out all my other work, which I'm sure you would, just go on my MySpace page." she continues, pressing a piece of paper with her MySpace profile name written neatly, with….wait for it, a gold star next to her name. I smile at her and she practically skips away.

I turn around only to bump into the tall, sweet-faced football player I noticed on my first day. He looks down at me, his brown eyes staring intently into my hazel ones.

"That wasn't nice of you, to make her believe that you are a fan of her's." he says, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.

"It wasn't _nice_ of you to shove that boy into the dumpster this morning, but you did it anyways." I shoot back, suddenly feeling defensive.

The boy shrugs, " At least _**Kurt**_ knew I wasn't a fan, I didn't lie about my true feelings towards him or act like I cared." he says, his eyes narrowing a bit.

I feel like rolling my eyes, but instead I shrug. We stand in silence for a few moments before the boy sticks out his hand towards me.

"Finn." he says.

"Quinn." I answer.

When we shake hands, I expect to feel dorky and super-lame, but when our hands touch, I feel an electric current pass throughout my entire body. We smile at each other and then Finn says, "Cool." and walks away as I walk over to my new group of friends. Before I reach my new friends, I see the boy with the mohawk watching me with an angry expression.

"That's Puck." a Latina Cheerio says, noticing my stare as she flips her glossy black hair into a ponytail.


	4. Mac & Cheese and Rosalie

**Hi everyone, thank you for reading. A special thank you to the people who favorited and commented on my story, it means so much. Please comment if you have anything to say, I would** _ **really**_ **love that.**

 **This chapter is kinda special because I'm dedicating it to someone who I adore, and I made an OC for her in this chapter. This is for CheesyPerfection (FanFiction username), my BFF. Check out her profile, it is hilarious.**

Days fly by faster than I can count. Endless hours of practice, homework that piles through the roof, parties that last all night, and more. When a weekend finally comes to me and I have a completely free Sunday, I welcome it happily.

At first, I don't know what to do, I haven't had a free day since I started at McKinley, but then my phone buzzes.

 **Hey-how's my blonde Lucy?**

The text makes me want to scream and laugh at the same time. It's my cousin Rosalie, so I want to grin, but it says Lucy. _Lucy._ I'm done with Lucy. She was a overweight girl with no future, she doesn't exist anymore. I pick up my phone and type back.

 **You know it's not Lucy anymore.**

My phone chimes again.

 **Sorry, but you'll always be Lucy, not Quinn. Quinn sounds like some popular, totally vain girl. You aren't a Quinn.**

I sigh and my thumbs clumsily move across my keypad.

 **Funny, you literally just described me.**

Another chime.

 **No, seriously. I heard that you joined cheerleading, but I didn't believe it.**

More thumb typing.

 **Believe it Rosalie.**

Chime.

 **Luce, you aren't going to be a cheerleader, you know how mean to you they were back here. I miss you, your mom says that you've been partying a lot lately. That isn't you. You like watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer with me and staying up too late reading, not partying. Don't grow up so fast.**

I feel my cheeks get hot and I type faster, but with more mistakes.

 **Maybe I've just outgrown things like that.**

Chime.

 **Then you've outgrown me.**

Thumbs hard at work.

 **Maybe.**

Chime.

 **Okay "Quinn", I've got to go make myself some Mac and Cheese, maybe when you're done partying, you can stop by.**

I can't force myself to text back, so I turn away and walk downstairs. I sit on the couch and read the text again. Funny how the most hurtful thing in that text was that she called me Quinn. I sit on the couch for a while longer, just thinking. Rosalie had been my best friend since we were born. We were cousins, but when we were younger, we liked to pretend to be sisters.

Rosalie was hilarious with her mini-stories and poems she sent me and her kindness. She was sarcastic and charming. We were changing so much and drifting apart. Well, maybe it was just me who was changing. I liked my change, I was a better, more likeable me.

I wrapped myself in a fuzzy blanket and turned on the TV to my seasons of Buffy and just as the theme music started to play, my phone chimed.

 **is it fun being popular?**

Hit pause, type back.

 **Yeah, more fun than being Lucy.**

Chime.

 **Any cute boys?**

I feel my cheeks get warm thinking about the boy who had asked me out last week. Sweet face, happy smile, big brown eyes. Finn. I type back.

 **Yes…**


	5. Mondays

**Monday**

By Monday, things are looking up for me, I have gotten my Buffy fix and Rosalie and I have reconnected. We talked all yesterday and I force myself to shut off my phone so I don't start texting her in class.

I'm so happy that I can't wipe the smile from my face as I walk down the hall. I even keep my smile plastered on my face when Rachel Berry comes up and talks to me, which is a _**big**_ improvement on my part.

I'm starting to think that maybe I was _way_ too mean to some of the students here, so I try and have a normal conversation with them without the snarky comments or eye-rolls and IT WORKS! Rosalie reminded me what it felt like to be below the popular people, so I've decided to treat them like how I always wanted to be treated when I was Lucy.

The day flies by and before I know it, the bell has rung for the last class of the day. The Cheerio who pointed out Puck for me comes up to my locker as I unload my backpack. She smiles at me and the blonde Cheerio behind her is talking into a banana.

"So now that you're "cool" and everything, I've decided that you aren't lame enough for me to shun you." the Latina Cheerio says, smirking.

"I'm Santana and she's Brittany." the Cheerio continues, glaring at me now.

I'm terrified of this girl, but I flip back my hair and say, "Quinn."

Santana looks approvingly at me as she turns and strides away.

"Coming?" she asks, rolling her eyes at Brittany who continues to talk on her banana.

I nod and fall next to Brittany as she hangs up on her banana.

"Organic bananas get better reception than normal bananas." she explains, looking at me serious as can be.

 _Mondays_


	6. See You Again

Weeks pass with hours filled with texting conversations and phone calls with Rosalie. We have gotten closer than ever and that's _really_ saying something. I really think she's brought out the best in me, I haven't insulted anyone since we've started talking again.

I've also become friends with Brittany and Santana, they might not be the nicest and smartest girls in school, but they're popular so I'm happy and my parents are happy with me.

Today, I walk into school feeling as if nothing could touch me or bring me down. I had blonde hair, a Cheerios uniform, a good figure, friends, and Rosalie. Everything in my life was picture perfect.

Today is a perfect day. **Or it was.**

I was walking down the hallway to math class when Ms. Pillsbury stopped me. Her face was tear-stained and her hands were shaking. I wasn't too surprised, Ms. Pillsbury was _always_ crazy with her obvious OCD. I was surprised when she excused me from math (score!) and sat me down in her office. Her eyes glanced at everything _**but**_ me and I felt a little uncomfortable.

"Quinn, is it?" she asked quietly.

I nodded and she inhaled deeply.

"Quinn, I've called you in here because there was some tragic accident in your family this morning and your mother called for me to alert you before she comes and takes you home." she said, staring hard at her desk, not meeting my eyes.

I bit the inside of my lip and shifted slightly in my chair. Couldn't the lady just spit it out already?

"Your cousin, Rosalie Oliven, was _**killed**_ this morning in a car accident." Ms. Pillsbury continued gently. When she got to the word ' _ **killed**_ ', she broke down and started to sob silently.

I sat in my chair numb. Rosalie couldn't be dead, she was alive at school with her boyfriend Ben, she was sitting in class, bored out of her mind. It wasn't possible, she couldn't be dead, Rosalie was too _young_ to die, she wasn't even 18. It wasn't true, it wasn't. After school, she'd text me and we'd skype while watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer together. She'd complain about her evil history teacher and go on and on about Mac and Cheese, how it was heaven on earth and all that.

I hadn't realized I was crying until somehow I was in my mom's car, speeding away from school. My phone chimed and I eagerly picked it up, hoping with all my existence that it was her texting me, telling me that this was a joke that I'd fallen for, it wasn't Rosalie though, it was Brittany asking if I thought Rachel Berry was an alien because she was so short. I sobbed harder when I saw this and when I tried to exit out of my texts, my last text conversation with Rosalie popped up.

 **Talk to u tonite**

That was what she texted me this morning before the accident, my mind suddenly filled with images of Rosalie and I, playing together when we were 6, or singing together when we were 9 at our family talent show. I couldn't stand anymore of it and I wished for all of it to go away as a black haze crept into my mind.

Days passed, but who was counting? I refused to get out of bed and respond to others. When my mom tried to cheer me up with watching Buffy, I smashed all the DVDs. I pounded my pillow, screamed into the night, and laid still on my bed like a dead girl. Rosalie's funeral was approaching and I knew I had to go.

The day the funeral took place was the first day I stepped out of bed. I wore a black dress and stuffed my handbag with a box of Annie's Mac and Cheese. My mom was shocked, and she freaked out when I came downstairs barefoot, makeupless, and my hair in a ratnest. Someone sat me down and brushed out my hair, pushed me in the shower, and did my make-up. I must of looked pretty, but I didn't even glance in the mirror on my way out.

At the funeral, everyone was dressed darkly and sobbing. I wondered if everyone felt like their insides were being sucked into a black hole like mine was. Lots of speeches were made, but they didn't capture Rosalie at all. I stopped listening until Rosalie's mom, my aunt Marie, asked me to say a few words about Rosalie. I didn't want to talk though, so I asked if I could sing instead. Rosalie and I had always sang together when we were little, maybe I could pretend that she was up here with me, singing along. aunt Marie consented and I informed the musicans who played other songs to play to song I wanted to sing.

I guess it was just luck that I knew every lyric to the song I wanted to honor Rosalie with. I faced away from her open casket as the music began to play from Carrie underwood's song "See You Again"...

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Said goodbye, turned around

And you were gone, gone, gone

Faded into the setting sun,

Slipped away

But I won't cry

'Cause I know I'll never be lonely

For you are the stars to me,

You are the light I follow

I will see you again, oh

This is not where it ends

I will carry you with me, oh

'Till I see you again

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

I can hear those echoes in the wind at night

Calling me back in time

Back to you

In a place far away

Where the water meets the sky

The thought of it makes me smile

You are my tomorrow

I will see you again, oh

This is not where it ends

I will carry you with me, oh

'Till I see you again

Sometimes I feel my heart is breaking

But I stay strong and I hold on 'cause I know

I will see you again, oh

This is not where it ends

I will carry you with me, yeah yeah

I will see you again, oh

This is not where it ends

I will carry you with me, oh

'Till I see you again

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

'Till I see you again (Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh)

'Till I see you again yeah yeah yeah whoa

'Till I see you again

Said goodbye turned around

And you were gone, gone, gone.

When I finished, everyone stared at me as I hurried back to my seat. At the end of the service, I walked up to Rosalie's casket. She looked the same, no injuries really because when she was hit, it hit her in the right place that killed her instantly. Her pale face and black hair swims around her. At first I wanted to be different and pretty so I could look more like Rosalie who was lean and petite and beautiful, but also for popularity. I had beauty now but I'd lost someone I cared about deeply in the process. Rosalie was a good person, she wasn't vain and selfish like me. I was the one who should be lying in the wooden box right now. Rosalie had given me so much when she was alive, it was time I gave her something in return.

I reached into my handbag and placed the box of Mac and Cheese in her pale, stiff hand. I fought back tears as I turned away and the lid was shut and Rosalie was locked into darkness forever. When I got home, I opened the gate contained back my tears and let them flow down my face freely.

 **I'm sorry Rosalie died, I'm trying to develop why Quinn becomes so emotionless and cold. The person who Rosalie is based on is NOT dead *thank goodness* but teen deaths happen all the time and even though I hate to think about death, it's reality. Darn reality! I'm REALLY sorry if someone you know and loved died ever, I'm sure they were amazing, beautiful souls. Now I sound like my grandma, but I mean it. Thank you for reading and I wish you the best! *Sorry for being for** **weird, if I freaked you out with my soul talk, I apologize :)***


	7. Advice From Santana

"Quinny, you have to go back to school at some point." my mom said, looking at me with her hazel eyes swimming in pity, grief, and exhaustion. I looked up with at start, I had no idea anyone had been speaking to me. One time, I zoned out when Rosalie, wait, _**no Quinn, don't think of the "R" name.**_ I sighed and dragged myself out of bed. Mom was right, I could get kicked of the Cheerios soon if I didn't get my butt to practice.

It took me exactly five minutes to get ready. I threw my hair into a high ponytail and put on sweats and a t-shirt. I didn't even try and put some makeup on. For the first time in a while, I didn't care how I looked.

Mom didn't say a word about my appearance as she drove me to school. Apparently, I was too mentally upset to drive myself to school.

As I walked down the hallway, people stopped and stared at me. Whispers containing my name floated around my ears. I knew that the stares and whispers weren't for my beauty or my cute outfit, they were for my state of depression.

In every single one of my classes, I didn't hear the teacher.I didn't acknowledge anyone. I was like a walking zombie-ghost thing. _**Oh great Quinn, now you sound like a nerd. What's next, are you going to recite all the Star Trek episodes?**_

Saddest of all, the ONLY conversation that I'd so far at school today was with myself. Even Lucy would have pitied me.

When I walked into the cafeteria, a smell overtook me.

"It's Mac & Cheese day." the girl in front of me remarked, wrinkling her nose slightly. I felt myself sway on my feet. _**Mac & Cheese. **_Before I could do something embarrassing, I ran out of the cafeteria and into the girl's bathroom.

Inside, I lowered myself to the ground and let the sobs shake my whole body. I cried for Rosalie, her life had been taken and the world had darkened. No one else noticed her gone, they never knew her, but the world felt different to me. It was a cruel, unforgiving place. I cried for a while longer until my stall door opened.

"Quinn?" Santana said, sitting down next to me.

"Hi Santana" I replied, wiping my tears hastily.

"I heard about your cousin, I'm really sorry." she said quietly. I just nodded, I didn't know what to say.

"You look like a mess." Santana went on, stating the harsh truth.

"Thanks." I replied snottily.

"Look, I'm not here to cry next to you and braid your hair, I'm here I tell you something." she stated. I waited for her to continue on.

"You can't let the people here see what you're feeling. You've got to bottle everything up, and shut out every emotion out to a minimum. If you want to stay on top, you can't let your guard down. The people here will tear you apart." She said slowly. I nodded, it made sense. My popularity was the only thing going right in my life, I needed it to be set in stone. Santana helped me up and I re-did my hair and changed into my Cheerio uniform.

When the bell rang for the end of lunch, I walked out of the bathroom with more confidence, less emotion. The people here couldn't tear me apart, I wouldn't let them. Only if someone was to tear through my many layers, they would see that I was truly broken over Rosalie.


	8. Tonight

"Quinn, Quinn, hey Quinn are you even listening?" Finn asked as I looked up at him.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" I asked, trying to keep my voice level. I didn't want others to overhear and think I was upset. I couldn't let anyone know what I was feeling. Finn looked down at me, his eyes warm and full of light. He smiled sweetly at me as my cheeks turned slightly pink.

"I was saying that we should go to the movies this Friday. That new zombie invasion movie is coming out, it's gonna be really cool." he said, grinning even bigger.

"Finn," I said, my voice sharp, "This Friday we're going to Kyle's party. All the important people will be there. We are NOT going to some lame nerd movie."

"But all the guys are going…"

"I'm not a guy, if you haven't noticed. Honestly, it's like you don't even care what people think of you!" I exclaimed, Finn's cheeks now red with embarrassment.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that big-nosed girl with the annoying voice. She watched me with disgust and stared at Finn with slight awe.

"Get lost loser!" I snapped at her as she shrunk a bit.

"Hey, hey, no need to be rude." Finn said, holding both hands up in protest.

"She's a loser Finn, the sooner she realizes that she's below us the better." I said. Finn stepped away from me, he looked as if I slapped him. My pulse quickened as panic filled my body. _He could break up with me. I need to fix this. If he dumps me, it'll ruin my image.,_ I thought. I stepped toward Finn, my expression arranged gently.

"You're right, if you want you can come over tonight. We can watch some dorky movie if you want." I whispered, placing my hand on Finn's shoulder. He smiled warily, but leaned closer.

"Sounds cool." he said as I smiled. I started to kiss him, trying to block out of the things running around in my mind. Finn hesitated at first, but gave in, kissing me back. Just as I was distracted, I heard a voice behind us.

"Can't you two get a room?" Santana asked. I broke away from Finn and looked at Santana.

"Where's Brittany?" I asked as Santana shrugged.

"I thought you always were together." Finn remarked as Santana's eyes darkened.

"It's not like I keep tabs on her. I wasn't talking to you anyways." Santana lashed out at Finn as Finn's eyes widened with fear. Santana turned and stalked out of the room with anger. Finn opened his mouth to speak, but the bell rang, interrupting him.

"See you tonight." he said before walking off. _Tonight_


End file.
